As announced earlier, the State Government has launched Ganga Gai Mahila Dairy Yojna (Ganga Cow Women Dairy Scheme) meant to better living condition of the distressed widows on the occasion of Janmashtami at Raipur in Dehradun on Saturday.
In the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Minister Harish Rawat handed over one cow each to five widows and distributed cheques worth Rs40,000 to each of 40 needy women. Under this scheme, 558 widows were given cows or amounts equal to the price of a cow on the occasion of Janmashtami.
In his address CM Rawat said that River Ganga and Cow are being considered as mothers. “They keep nurturing everyone as their own kids,” he said.
The crux of the CM’s speech dwelt on the strings welfare schemes meant to empower women of the state his government has already launched or is all set to launch.
Referring to the objective of the scheme, CM said it is meant to be an instrument of women’s financial empowerment. “The State Government is working hard to distribute 500 cows among the distressed widows who are destitute from each of the State’s13 districts. This will make them financially sound and, at the same time, the state milk production will go up,” he said.
“We have already been giving Rsfour per litre as bonus to the cooperative committees to provide fillip to milk production. Now, things are looking up as expected,” he said.
He further said if the cooperative committees will go for all- women dairy committees the State Government would give Rsone per litre as additional bonus to them by way of boost.
Stressing on better coordination between the Banks and the cooperative committees, CM exhorted the banks to come forward to give them easy credits. He assured that if the interests exceed the cooperative committees’ limit the State Government would step in to bridge the gap.
“If women’s retiring rooms are constructed at the behest of the dairy federation or funded by the MlAs’ local area development funds the State Government would support them in full. Even the state cooperative Aanchal will allocate dairy booths to the women as well,” he assured.
Recalling the glorious history of Uttarakhand in terms of the initiatives taken to ensure women’s all-round welfare, CM said they have been spending Rs100 crore per annum under Gaura Devi Kanya Dhan Yojna. “Now pregnant and elderly women aged above 60 years are being provided nutritious diets by the State Government. Inborn handicapped child is being given Rs500 per month as diet allowance.
This aside, the workers who are injured while on duty are being provided with pension under Teelu Rauteli Pension Scheme.
Currently, we are giving pensions to the widows and deserted women. More are in store as we are all set to launch scheme for the solitary women in the coming days,” he said.
Speaking of other facilities the State government is providing to the weaker sections, particularly, the women, he said the elderly women can travel in roadways buses free of cost. “Besides, Mere Buzurg Mere Teerth Scheme is already in process,” he said.
Reiterating his commitmentto include more women in the State’s police force, he said they would ensure that at least one woman sub- inspector is recruited in each of the police stations.
“We have already issued a notification to induct 10 percent women in Homeguard. The figure would be taken to 30 per cent in the future. Besides, we are going to recruit 1800 women as constables shortly,” CM said.
later, CM also launched National Agriculture Development Scheme, under which milk and milk products will be sold door to door by Aanchal dairy, State Government’s movable loose milk wending machine and E-rickshaws as well.
During the scheme launching programme, local MlA Umesh Sharma Kau, principal secretary Dr Ranbeer Singh, cooperative union chief Arjun Rautela and its member Vijay Ramola along with other members were present.